Package taping



PACKAGE TAPING Filed July 27, 1965 5 $heets-Sheet 1 H. H. BLUMER Nov. 7, 1967 PACKAGE TAPING Filed July 2'7. 1965 H. H. BLUMER PACKAGE TAPING Nov. 7, 71967 Filed July 27, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IIII IIIII 9m um Nm hm m Nov. 7, 1967 H. H. BLUMER 3,351,185

PACKAGE TAPING Filed July 27, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 H. H. BLUMER PACKAGE TAPING Nov. 7, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 27, 1965 United States Patent 3,351,185 PACKAGE TAPING Hans Heinrich Blnmer, Leutschenbachstrasse 43, Zurich- Oerlilron, Switzerland Filed July 27, 1965, Ser. No. 475,099 Claims priority, application Switzerland, July 31, 1964, 10,081/ 64 12 Claims. (Cl. 206-60) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to an improvement in packaging of articles, especially of stacks of sheetlike articles, by applying tape thereabout and concerns the resulting taped articles as well as a method of taping them and apparatus for doing so. A taped package thereof is produced by applying a non-adhesive tape about the rest of the package and joining the respective tapes end to end to form an endless band of tape snugly surrounding the package. This is accomplished by applying over one face of the package a length of adhesive tape having end portions extending beyond the junctions of that face with adjoining faces of the package, applying over the remaining faces of the package a length of non-adhesive tape having end portions extending beyond the junction of the adjoining faces with the face covered by the adhesive tape and into adherent contact with the respective end portions thereof to form a slack-free endless band of tape surrounding the package, the end portions of the non-adhesive tape being shorter than the end portions of the adhesive tape, and turning the end portions of the non-adhesive tape back thereon and adhering the further extending terminal parts of the adhesive tape to adjacent intermediate portions of the non-adhesive tape.

Taping of packaged goods and of groups of articles otherwise unsecured is a known packaging technique. Where the tape ends are joined adhesively it is customary to employ tape having an adhesive or self-sticking material along one entire face thereof, which is quite expensive and wtuch as a rule in the instance of stacked articles causes the topmost and bottommost articles in the stack to be discarded, upon unpackaging, together with the severed tape. Such adhesive taping technique is not conducive to performance by machine. Other taping techniques, such as employ mechanical means and methods for fastening or sealing together the ends of non-adhesive tape or the like, are also expensive because of the additional materials used and are not applicable to relatively small packages because the necessary tools or machinery occupy so much space along a face or corner of the package as to require an oblique run of the tape during fastening, whereupon slackening of the tape occurs upon their removal after the ends of the tape are so joined together.

As indicated above, the problem of taping stacks of sheetlike articles is especially severe, and the present invention is directed primarily thereto although being applicable to other goods as will be apparent. A sheetlike article is one having two exterior faces spaced closely together and generally parallel to one another, the spacing between the faces being small relative to the other dimensions of the faces. The faces are often flat but may have regular or irregular surface variations small relative to the other dimensions of the faces. Such articles may consist of only a single layer or thickness of material or may comprise more than one layer, with or without space between some adjacent layers or parts thereof. For example, cuts of paper or cardboard, such as labels, tags, printed forms, and sheets of paper are sheetlike articles,

for the purposes of this invention, as are envelopes, corrugated cardboard, and laminated or pressed fibrous, plastic,

or glass structures, and other examples will come readily to mind.

A primary object of the present invention is to surround a package snugly with a tape secured in the form of an endless loop, without subsequent slackening.

Another object is provision of a mechanized method of so taping a package, especially a stack of sheetlike articles.

A further object is provision of apparatus for performing such mechanized taping of a package, especially in repetitive or automatic manner.

Other objects of the present invention, together with means and methods for accomplishing the various objects will be apparent from the following description thereof and of the diagrams, which show a perferred apparatus embodiment.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example of taped package (with the tape shown partly broken away) according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of one form of apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary section, on an enlarged scale, through a portion of the same apparatus, taken at III-III on FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section, also on an enlarged scale, through another portion of the same apparatus, taken at IVIV on FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly in section and on an enlarged scale, of certain of the components of the apparatus of the preceding views, taken at an early stage in the taping of a stack of sheetlike articles thereby;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view similar to that of FIG. 5 taken at a later stage in the same operation;

FIG. 7 is a similar view taken at a still later stage in the operation of the same apparatus components shown at earlier stages in FIGS. 5 and 6; and

FIG. 8 is a final view similar to the immediately foregoing views but taken at an even later stage in the same operation of the apparatus.

In general the objects of the present invention are accomplished by providing a snugly taped multi-faced package, preferably rectangular in outline at the taping location, having a non-adhesive tape extending over a plurality of the faces, preferably three, and having an adhesive tape extending over at least one of the faces, and preferably only slightly beyond the edges of the one remaining face of four, with the ends of the adhesive tape overlapping and adhering to the ends of the non-adhesive tape to provide an endless band of tape snugly surrounding the package.

The invention comprehends a method of so taping such packages and particularly forming at the margin of one face over which the non-adhesive tape extends, and adjoining a face over which the adhesive tape extends, a junction of the adhesive and non-adhesive tapes, characterized by an end portion of the non-adhesive tape turned back thereon and an end portion of the adhesive tape overlying and adhering to not only the backturned end portion of the non-adhesive tape but also an adjacent portion of the non-adhesive tape not covered by the backturned portion.

The invention also comprehends apparatus for mechanically practicing the foregoing method and thereby so taping such packages automatically in sequence, one after another.

FIG. 1 shows the result of the practice of this invention, in the form of a package consisting of stack S of identical rectangular sheetlike articles E. First tape 1 is non-adhesive (i.e., not self-sticking); it extends longitudinally entirely across the top face of the stack, being the top surface of the top article in the stack, midway of the opposite side edges thereof, as shown. Tape 1 also extends at the right down the concealed side face of the stack and across the concealed bottom face, being the bottom surface of the bottommost article in the stack, in like manner as across the top. Second tape 2 is adhesive or self-sticking and is shaded in FIG. 1 to distinguish it from the non-adhesive first tape. Tape 2 extends down the visible side face at the left, opposite the side face traversed by the first tape, and adheres to the adjacent edge of each article in the stack. The second tape also has end portions 2a (one visible in FIG. 1) extending beyond the side face, each such end portion overlapping part of the first tape. As shown at the margin of the top face bordering the side face traversed by the adhesive second tape, the first tape has end portion 1a thereof turned back at the edge onto the underlying part of the first tape and under overlying end portion 2a of the second tape, which is partly broken away to show the backturned end portion and adjacent intermediate portion 11) of the first tape. A like construction occurs at the concealed corresponding margin of the bottom face. Each backturned end portion 1a of the non-adhesive tape is preferably shorter than the tape width, and each overlapping end portion 2a of the adhesive tape is preferably about twice as long as the underlying backturned end portion of the non-adhesive tape, and the overlying adhesive end portion adheres to adjacent intermediate portion 1b of the nonadhesive tape as well as to backturned end portion 1a thereof.

Tape 1, which is not self-sticking, has no adhesive coating, and may be any suitably strong cheap material, such as paper or cellulose acetate, reinforced or not, as appropriate. Tape 2, which is self-sticking, has one face adhesively coated, as with a pressure-sensitive adhesive, or otherwise rendered self-sticking, as is readily available on the market.

FIG. 2 shows, in side elevation and partly in section, a preferred embodiment of apparatus by which a package may be taped as in FIG. 1, and details thereof are shown on an enlarged scale in FIGS. 3 and 4. Main frame member 3 is connected rigidly to auxiliary frame member 5 by bridging frame piece 4. Auxiliary frame member 5 has attached thereto segmental block 6, which carries supply roll 7 of adhesive or self-sticking tape 2 for unwinding. Leaf s-pring 5a is supported on the auxiliary frame member adjacent the tape roll to prevent the tape from overrunning past the alternative position of the unwinding tape shown in broken lines. The auxiliary frame member has attached thereto along its oblique right edge, fixed guide gib 8, which has an appreciable face width perpendicular to the plane of the view. Main frame member 3 has attached thereto segmental block 37, which carriessupply roll 36 of non-adhesive tape 1 for unwinding. The 'main frame member has adjustable guide gib 11 (shown sectioned) attached thereto with its face parallel to and spaced from the face of fixed guide gib 8 on the auxiliary frame member. The adjustable guide gib has support 9 fitting slidably between guide rails 3a (shown in broken lines) secured to the rear face of the main frame member. Adjustment slot 911 through the gib support and perpendicular to the face of the gib receives bolt 3b, which also extends through the main frame member midway of the guide rails. A pair of fixed extensions 11a of the adjustable guide gib extend downwardly therefrom laterally spaced from one another above and below the plane of the view. The adjustable guide gib is grooved longitudinally from its lower end to near its upper end to accommodate plunger 13 extending out the lower end and compression spring 18 between the upper end of the plunger and the upper end of the groove. This groove 14 is covered over most of its length by cover 12, which provides the face of the adjustable guide gib opposite the face of the fixed guide gib, but slot 15 through the cover and elongated in the same longitudinal direction receives limit pin 16 afiixed to the plunger. Near the lower end of the plunger, angular lug 13a projects laterally (perpendicular to the viewing plane in FIG. 2) through lateral slot 17 in the adjustable guide gib and extends to the vicinity of the projecting lower end thereof, which terminates in angularly offset end portion 1312 having rounded-off end 13c aligned with the gib face.

Main frame member 3 supports first ram 23 for reciprocation parallel to the opposing faces of fixed and adjustable guide gibs 8 and 11. Ramhead 24 thereof comprises a pair of angle members flanking and attached to the lower end of ram 23 and extending perpendicularly thereto to terminate rigidly secured together in line with the face of fixed guide gib 8. The edge of ram 23 is grooved to receive pair of spaced rollers 22 mounted on the main frame members by bolts 19, nuts 20, and retaining rings 21, and the back of the ram comprises rack 23a in mesh with drive pinion 25 provided with flanges 25a and supported at an intermediate location by the main frame member (v. FIG. 3). The lower rest position of this first ram is defined by abutment of stop pin 26 thereon against stop 27 on the main frame member. The upper or terminal ramming position is defined by abutment of the far end of ram 23 against stop screw 28 adjustably carried by stop holder 29 secured to the main frame member. Stack S to be taped is shown in phantom (in FIG. 2) resting against thrust face 24a of the head of the first ram and against extensions 11a of the adjustable guide gib, whose face is spaced from that of the fixed guide gib by the width of the stack.

Second ram 31 is supported for reciprocation similarly to first ram 23, but perpendicular thereto (parallel to the thrust face thereof) and perpendicular to the faces of the respective guide gibs, by pair of spaced rollers 30 and intervening drive pinion 32 provided with flanges 32a, similarly mounted on the main frame member. Part of the lower edge of this second ram comprises rack 31a in mesh with drive pinion 32, while part of the upper edge is grooved longitudinally (v. FIG. 3) to receive the rollers. The body portion of second ram 31 is grooved therealong to receive non-adhesive tape 1 therein from roll 36 after passage about arcuate guide 38 secured to the main frame member. In sequence from the rear to the front of the ram, the tape occupies the rear portion of longitudinal groove 33, oblique branching groove 35, and (after passage along an ungrooved portion of the under side of the ram) groove 39 in component clamping member 40. Groove 39 is parallel to longitudinal groove 33 and extends along but spaced below the front portion of that longitudinal groove, which accommodates reciprocating knife 34 having conveniently V-shapcd forward cutting edge 34a. FIG. 4 shows details of these parts in transverse cross section and on a scale suitably enlarged for clarity of illustration. The component clamping member (v. also FIG. 5) is carried for reciprocation in the same direction as the knife and the ram itself in a recess on the under side of the front portion of the ram by bar 41 affixed at its ends to the ram at the end walls of the recess and surrounded by compression spring 42 located thereon rearwardly of the member. Forward end face 40a of this clamping member constitutes a movable clamping face for adhesive tape 1, as described hereinafter.

The thrust face of second ram 31 has recess 43 therein bifurcating it into pair of spaced projecting portions 31b and 310. In the rest position of knife 34 shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 (also in FIG. 5) cutting edge 34a thereof is located in the recess, i.e., rearward of the forward ends of the projecting portions of the thrust face of the ram. The rear portion of the knife has pin 34b extending laterally therefrom through a suitably enlarged portion of groove 33 into a slot at the lower end of actuating lever 44, which is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on pivot pin 45 carried on plate 46 fastened to the ram. The lower end of the actuating lever is biased rearwardly by extension spring 47, the other end of which is anchored on pin 48 affixed to the plate. Angle bracket 71 secured to the edge of main frame piece 3 intermediate rollers 22 carries stop screw 70 at a level to intercept the upper end of actuating lever 44 upon reciprocation of this ram 31.

Main frame member 3 carries pawl 49 pivoted at its rear end and having downwardly extending tooth 49a near its front end, and second ram 31 has secured to it cooperating fixed member 50 with upwardly extending tooth 50a engaging tooth 49a while this second ram is at its rest position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Disengagement is effected by contact of pawl 49 with upwardly moving stop pin 26 on first ram 23 just before or as the end of the ram abuts against stop screw 28, thereby halting the upward movement of the first ram. The relative positions of certain of these parts at such instant is illustrated in FIG. 5, to be discussed later.

Auxiliary frame member has L-shaped member 51 afiixed thereto near the lower right corner thereof. Adhesive tape 1 passes about the rounded lower corners of this member, and flat end surface 51a of the leg of the L facing the adjustable guide gib constitutes a fixed clamping face aligned with movable clamping face 40a of clamping member 40 carried on second ram 31. The auxiliary frame member has fixed pin 54 secured thereto near its upper right corner. Pair of spring bars supported in a suitable bore through the pin extend downwardly substantially parallel to the right edge of the auxiliary frame member and the faces of respective guide gibs 8 and 11. The spring bars carry at their lower ends movable clamping block 52, which occupies a gap between the leg of L-shaped member 51 and the lower end of fixed guide gib 8. This movable clamping block normally rests against stop screw 55 through the body of L-shaped member 51, and its right face is normally flush with the face of the fixed guide gib and has slot 52a therein in line with knife 34 of the second ram.

The forward end of second ram 31 has secured thereto and protruding therefrom pair of laterally spaced leaf springs 69 furnished with pair of catches 6911 (one on each spring) on their facing inner surfaces. The spacing of these facing inner surfaces is equal to the spacing of the outer edges of pair of spring bars 53 that support movable clamping block 52. As the bifurcated thrust face of the second ram abuts against the movable clamping block, the catches on these leaf springs engage the pair of supporting spring bars so that when the ram subsequently moves rearwardly it displaces the movable clamping block a limited distance to the right, until the offset lower left part of the block engages the left edge of the upturned leg of L-shaped member 51, whereupon the leaf springs spread to permit disengagement of the clamps.

FIG. 3 especially shows the driving mechanism for both rams. Main drive shaft 56, mounted rotatably in bearing 57 affixed to main frame member 3, is rotatable in either direction by any suitable means, such as a motor (not shown) or by hand through a suitable hand crank (also not shown) secured to the shaft. Drive gear 58 on the main drive shaft is in mesh with driven gear 59a, which in turn is in mesh with driven gear 64a. Member 64, which is attached to the latter driven gear, and member 65, which is attached to drive shaft 66, together constitute a first torque-adjustable slip coupling. Drive pinion 25 on this drive shaft engages rack 23a on the first ram as previously mentioned. Similarly, members 59 (on driven gear 59a) and 61 constitute a second torqueadjustable slip coupling, which through drive shaft 63 connects to drive pinion 32 engaged with rack 31a of the second ram. Bearings 67 and 62, secured to the main frame member, accommodate respective pinion drive shafts 66 and 63.

The operation of the illustrated and described apparatus is readily understood and as described below embodies the taping of a package such as shown in FIG. 1.

6 FIG. 2 shows an initial stage in the mechanical taping procedure, and FIGS. 5 to 8, inclusive, illustrate four consecutively following stages therein and are referred to at appropriate places in the procedural description.

As indicated in FIG. 2, in which both rams are shown in their normal rest positions, package or stack S to be taped is placed on thrust face 24a of the first ram and against extensions 11a of adjustable guide gib 11, the spacing of the face of the adjustable guide gib from the opposing face of fixed guide gib 8 having been preadjusted to the width of the stack. Tapes 1 and 2 have been previously joined at location U, adjacent clamping face 510 of L-shaped member 51, either manually for the first run or mechanically during taping of a previous package as described below.

Main drive shaft 56 is rotated to rotate drive pinion 25 clockwise, thereby raising first ram 23 and bringing stack S into contact with the joined tapes and upward between the respective guide gibs until the end of the ram abuts against stop screw 28, whereupon the first slip coupling begins to slip as member 64 continues to rotate but member 65 stops. Adhesive tape 2 unwinds from roll 7 and passes about the rounded corners of L- shaped member 51. Non-adhesive tape 1 unwinds from roll 36 and feeds through the previously described slots of the second ram and around rounded-off end of plunger 13 in the adjustable guide gib. The plunger is forced upward by contact of its angular lug end 13a against the thrust face of the first ram, which moves to a level at which it is flush with the lower end of the fixed guide gib and the upper surface of the second ram. The halting of the first ram stops the unwinding of adhesive tape 2, the extent of which is determined by the height of the stack. This stage in the procedure is shown in FIG. 5.

Just before the upward movement of the first ram halts, stop pin 26 thereon engages pawl 49 on the second ram, lifting tooth 49a thereon out of engagement with tooth 50a on fixed member 50. The second slip coupling, which has been slipping during the previous part of the operation just described, now rotates drive pinion 32 counterclockwise, thereby moving the second ram forward to the left. Non-adhesive tape 1 continues to unwind, as the thrust face of the second ram passes it along the bottom of stack S. Soon movable clamping face 40a pinches tape 2 against fiat surface 51a of L-shaped member 51, and upon further advance of the second ram spring 42 is compressed as block 40 remains stationary.

Next, the forward movement of the second ram brings the upper end of actuating lever 44 against stop screw 70, and continued forward movement of the ram trips the lever, projecting knife 34 forward relative to the moving ram and severing the still unwinding non-adhesive tape, which thereupon stops unwinding from its supply roll. This stage in the operation is shown in FIG. 6.

Upon further forward movement of the second ram the severed ends of the non-adhesive tape spread apart from one another about projecting portions 31b and 31c of the thrust face. Knife 34 advances further, severing adhesive tape 2 against the face of movable clamping block 52, and enters slot 52a therein. The projecting portions of the ram thrust face pinch the respective severed ends of both tapes against the movable clamping block, and leaf springs 69 on the ram spread as their catches 69a pass about spring bars 53 upon which the movable clamping block is supported. As the leaf springs move together again their catches engage the spring bars. This stage is illustrated in FIG. 7.

When the tapes are pinched between the projecting portions of the thrust face of the second tape, short end portions 1a of non-adhesive tape 1 are pressed into adherent contact with the adhesive surface of tape 2, thereby joining them together, and the forward movement is halted as the rain can move no further in that direction. The second slip coupling then begins to slip again until the direction of rotation of the main drive shaft is reversed. This reversal may be occasioned by an operator who observes the satisfactory progress of the operation thus far, or it may be brought about by a conventional switching circuit (not shown) actuated automatically by the impact of the ram against the movable clamping block, for example.

Reversal of the rotation of drive gear 58 on main drive shaft 56 rotates the drive pinions for both rams to move them back to their original rest positions, where they will remain until the direction of rotation is changed again. As second ram 31 begins to return toward its original position, with clamps 69a still engaged with spring bars 53, the retrograde movement thereof pulls movable clamping block 52 to the right, along the under face of the bottom of stack S, and folds each of portions 2a of the adhesive tape and conjoined shorter end portions 1a of the non-adhesive tape through a right angle. Each end portion 2a of the adhesive tape is forced over and against adjacent portion 112 of the non-adhesive tape, to which it also adheres. Each end portion 1a of the nonadhesive tape is turned back thereon, through a straight angle of one hundred eighty degrees, and is completely covered by the longer adherent end portion of the adhesive tape. The folding and backturning of the respective tape ends at the under face of stack S completes the taping the stack. The similar operation on the other pair of tape ends is performed by movement of movable clamping block 52 over the upper surface of end 40a of temporarily stationary movable clamping member 40 in like manner. FIG. 8 shows the folding operation at a stage when end portions 1a of the non-adhesive tape have just been completely folded or turned back, together with adherent end portions 2a of the adhesive tape but before adjacent portions 1b (v. FIG. 1) of the non-adhesive tape have been covered and adhered to by end portions 20. Upon further retrograde movement of the second ram, the movable clamping block is halted by L-shaped member 51 as previously described, whereupon the clamps release their grip on spring bars 53, which restore the movable clamping block to its original rest position.

Taped stack S is held between the fixed and adjustable guide gibs as the first ram returns to its original rest position. When another stack or package is raised for taping on the thrust face of the first ram it forces the previously taped one upward, and a succession of taped packages will force preceding ones upward and out from between the guide gibs, whereupon they may fall into a chute or onto a conveyor (neither shown) to convey them to a shipping location.

The continual or intermittent automatic operation of the taping method has obvious advantages of convenience. Other advantages of the present invention have been mentioned, and others will be apparent. Although a preferred apparatus embodiment for practicing such method has been illustrated and described, modifications may be made therein, as by adding, combining, or subdividing parts or substituting equivalent .parts, while retaining all or many of the advantages of this invention, which is defined in the following claims.

The claimed invention:

1. A snugly taped multi-faced package having a nonadhesive tape extending over a plurality of the faces and an adhesive tape extending over one of the faces and overlapping and adhering at its ends to the ends of the non-adhesive tape, wherein the package is rectangular in section at the taping location, and the non-adhesive tape extends over three consecutive faces of the package to the junction of the fourth face with the first and third faces, and the adhesive tape extends over the fourth face and overlaps and adheres at its ends to the ends of the non-adhesive tape on the first and third faces.

2. The package of claim 1 wherein at each end of the non-adhesive tape a portion thereof is turned back thereon, and a longer end portion of the adhesive tape overlaps and adheres to the backturned portion and to an adjacent portion of the non-adhesive tape nearer the second face i long as the underlying backturned end portion of the non-adhesive tape.

5. The package of claim 1 wherein the package comprises a stack of sheetlike articles, and the adhesive tape extends over a face thereof comprising an edge of each of the articles and adheres thereto.

6. A snugly taped package of rectangular cross section at the taping location, surrounded by an endless band of tape consisting of a length of non-adhesive tape and a length of adhesive tape joined end to end, each of two opposite faces of the package having thereon a tape junction comprising an end portion of the non-adhesive tape turned back thereon, and a longer end portion of adhesive tape overlapping and adhering to the backturned end portion and to an adjacent portion of the non-adhesive tape, such junctions occupying marginal portions of their respective faces of the package bordering the junction of a mutually adjacent face thereof over which the length of adhesive tape extends.

7. A snugly taped stack of sheetlike articles comprising a plurality of similar sheetlike articles stacked one on top of the other, a non-adhesive tape extending over the top surface of the topmost article in the stack and down one side face of the stack made up of edges of the stacked articles and over the bottom surface of the bottommost article in the stack, the non-adhesive tape terminating at the junctions of the top and bottom surfaces with the side face located opposite the first side face of the stack, in an end portion turned back onto the intermediate portion of the non-adhesive tape, and an adhesive tape extending down that opposite side face of the stack and terminating in end portions eXtending beyond the junctions of that face with the top and bottom surfaces, each such end portion of the adhesive tape being substantially longer than the backturned end portions of the nonadhesive tape, and each such end portion of the adhesive tape overlapping and adhering to a backturned end pori tion and an adjacent intermediate portion of the nonadhesive tape, thereby forming an endless band of tape snugly surrounding the stack of articles and holding them together in the stack.

8. Method of snugly taping a package comprising applying an adhesive tape about part of the package and applying a non-adhesive tape about the rest of the package and joining the respective tapes end to end to form an endless band of tape snugly surrounding the package.

9. The taping method of claim 8 wherein the adhesive tape is cut to a length longer than the part of the package to which it is applied and the end portions thereof extend beyond that part of the package, and the non-adhesive tape is cut to a length longer than the rest of the package to which it is applied and the end portions thereof extend therebeyond and into adherent contact with the end portions of the adhesive tape, the end portions of the adhesive tape being longer than the end portions of the nnoadhesive tape, and the adherent end portions are folded over the intermediate part of the non-adhesive tape, and the further extending end portions of the adhesive tape are brought into adherent contact with that intermediate portion.

10. Method of snugly taping a multi-faced package to form an endless band of tape thereabout composed of a length of non-adhesive tape and a length of adhesive tape joined end to end, comprising applying over one face of the package a length of adhesive tape having end portions extending beyond the junctions of that face with adjoining faces of the package, applying over the remaining faces of the package at the banding location a length of non-adhesive tape having end portions extending beyond the junction of the adjoining faces With the face covered by the adhesive tape and into adherent contact with the respective end portions thereof to form a slack-free endless band of tape surrounding the package, the end portions of the non-adhesive tape being shorter than the end portions of the adhesive tape, and turning the end portions of the non-adhesive tape back thereon and adhering the further extending terminal parts of the adhesive tape to adjacent intermediate portions of the non-adhesive tape.

11. Method of sequentially taping packages by the method of claim 10 wherein a junction of the adhesive and non-adhesive tape end portions is formed at the bottom surface of one package simultaneously with the similar formation of a like junction for the top surface of the next succeeding package to be taped.

12. In the formation of an endless band of tape about a multi-faced package, the method of joining an adhesive tape and a non-adhesive tape end to end, comprising extending an adhesive tape over one face of the package and past the junction thereof with an adjacent face of the package, extending a non-adhesive tape over that adjacent face of the package, severing the non-adhesive tape before it reaches the edge of the face adjoining the face over which the adhesive tape extends, extending the severed length of non-adhesive tape over the rest of the face along which it extends to the edge adjoining the face over which the adhesive tape extends, the severed length of the non-adhesive tape being such that an end portion thereof extends beyond that edge, severing the adhesive tape at a length such that the extending end portion thereof is longer than the adjacent end portion of the non-adhesive tape, bringing the end portion of the non-adhesive tape into adherent contact with the end portion of the adhesive tape, folding the respective end portions together over the non-adhesive tape on the face covered thereby, and bringing the further extending part of the end portion of the adhesive tape into adherent contact with an adjoining portion of the non-adhesive tape.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,589,503 6/1926 Youngblood. 1,947,406 2/1934 Cox 2417 2,011,236 8/1935 Winter et a1. 206-57 2,885,839 5/1959 Weiss 53-3 THERON E. CONDON, Primray Examiner. MARTHA L. RICE, Examiner. 

1. A SNUGLY TAPED MULTI-FACED PACKAGE HAVING A NONADHESIVE TAPE EXTENDING OVER A PLURALITY OF THE FACES AND AN ADHESIVE TAPE EXTENDING OVER ONE OF THE FACES AND OVERLAPPING SAND ADHERING AT ITS ENDS TO THE ENDS OF THE NON-ADHESIVE TAPE, WHEREIN THE PACKAGE IS RECTANGULAR IN SECTION AT THE TAPING LOCATION, AND THE NON-ADHESIVE TAPE EXTENDS OVER THREE CONSECUTIVE FACES OF THE PACKAGE TO THE JUNCTION OF THE FOURTH FACE WITH THE FIRST AND THIRD FACES, AND THE ADHESIVE TAPE EXTENDS OVER THE FOURTH FACE AND OVERLAPS AND ADHERES AT ITS ENDS TO THE ENDS OF THE NON-ADHESIVE TAPE ON THE FIRST AND THIRD FACES. 